Chaos Figma Billing System

Figma is famous for its rapid user-centric improvements. If something feels a little inconvenient, it will be improved in the next patch. The rapid reflection of user feedback has contributed greatly to the growth of Figma. However, Figma has become increasingly complex recently.

Figma has grown beyond a design tool to become a collaboration tool for software creators. As managers and developers can also participate in the work, paid features such as Pigjam, which is used for meetings, and Dev-mode, which provides information necessary for development, have been added. These are features that are so useful that once you try them, you won’t be able to let go.

But as the functionality for various users is packed into one app, confusion increases. There are several categories for designs or Pigjam files in Figma. They are divided into several layers in the sidebar, making it difficult to tell where my files belong each time I use them. Does my file belong to the team? To the project? To the draft? Or to everything?

Added to this is the complex billing system, making the overall structure difficult to understand. When choosing a payment method, it seems like you’re paying the same price regularly, but the amount is calculated per ‘Seat’. This Seat is separated from the team, design, and Pigjam, and you have to manage each member’s authority one by one as Full, Viewer, and Viewer-restricted.

For example, I confirmed that I am the only 'member' in the 'team', but when I work on a design, I share files with others. In this complicated process of sharing files, if I invite 3~4 'members' to visit 'Design' and 'Pigjam', 'Seats' are added, and I am often charged a much higher amount than I thought. I thought I would be charged per team member, but I am charged for 4 people.

How will Figma's billing system change in the future? Figma is a great product that has had a big impact on the world. I hope that the billing system will be improved to make it easier to understand so that users do not misunderstand or make mistakes.

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